3 Ways To Beat Office Chokepoints

For an office to be efficient, everything needs to run smoothly. Successful workplaces have a certain understanding and a rhythm that allows them to function well and stay productive. However, no office is perfect; each has its own problems, inefficiencies, and chokepoints to address–which is why companies that provide office technology, like JJBender.com, are so valuable in today’s office setting.

In the US alone, unproductive workspaces are costing the economy a whopping $600 billion each year in lost sales, project delays, diminished customer satisfaction, and employee health issues. The opportunity cost is immense. Companies can save a lot simply by improving their systems and frameworks within the office–something that isn’t at all difficult to do.

Not sure where to start? Here are four common office chokepoints and how to deal with them:

Crowded Printers

Did you know that the average office employee prints 10,000 pages each year? It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that’s a lot. Crowded printers, scanners, and photocopying machines can cause all sorts of delays in your office. Instead of working, you might end up killing time waiting for your turn.

A quick–and cheap!–way to solve this is to get a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth enabled printer. That way, you can print from the convenience of your desk and carry on with your work. Simply by doing so, you can save so much time and focus on more important work.

Printer too expensive? JJ Bender has a wide variety used printers in great condition, some of them barely used.

Workplace Interruptions

According to the Washington Post, the average employee experiences interruptions every three minutes. These can come in the form of emails, text messages, social media updates, calls unrelated to work, or, the worst, intrusions by bosses and coworkers.

While, on the surface, workplace may seem innocuous, they can cost you up to six hours a day worth of productivity. If you’re working a nine-to-five, that’s almost a whole day’s worth of distractions!

Lessen office interruptions by keeping your phone and other gadgets away. If you absolutely cannot resist the urge to check your devices, block distracting websites and apps with software like TrackTime and SelfControl.

As for your coworkers and bosses, well, try placing a Do-Not-Disturb sign outside your workspace. Most people will get the message. Also, don’t be afraid to ask your coworkers to hold off their requests until you’re free. Chances are, if the request isn’t urgent, they’ll find someone else to bug.

Sadly, bosses are a different story. You can’t brush them off the way you do your coworkers. If it helps, set up a meeting with your boss and explain why you need to lessen your distractions. Most reasonable bosses will take note and keep your concerns in mind.

Repe titive Tasks

Nothing kills motivation more than mundane, repetitive tasks like encoding data, maintaining inventory, juggling emails, transcribing audio, and many others. These can consume a lot of your time and sap you of your creative energy.

While these tasks are no less important, many of them can be done by software or outsourced offshore. Office automation software like Basecamp, Iterable, DrumUp, Evernote, and Seafile can help you streamline your workflows; whereas freelancing sites like UpWork and HubStaff can connect you to skilled freelancers all over the globe. Freelancers from developing countries such as Thailand, Bangladesh, Ghana, Vietnam, and The Philippines can get work done for much less than in a first-world country.

Free yourself from repetitive tasks so you can focus on higher-level work such as design, planning, and the like. One of the easiest ways to improve your office is by addressing current chokepoints. The sooner you get those out of the way, the faster you can get back on track.